]]>I was invited recently to be part of a panel on global payments at the “1st Islamic FinTech Summit”, held at an international law firm in the City of London. Alongside me on the panel were the CEOs of two FinTech companies that provide technology to companies who want to set up their own banks.

FinTech is the shortened version of the phrase ‘Financial Technology’, which is now used to describe businesses that offer financial services using software and modern technology. One of the questions asked to the panellists was: “Is FinTech the solution to global inequality”?

Evolution or Revolution?

The answer to this is fairly complex, but with the right application FinTech has the potential to empower individuals financially and offer new routes into financial inclusion. Globally, 1.7 billion people still do not have access to a bank account, [1] however, mobile penetration is increasing at a phenomenal rate and the provision of banking services through mobile phones will give the developing world even more access to financial services, and thus, a return to the providers.

Can the integration of Islamic Financial Principles into FinTech help provide a solution? I am to some degree sceptical about this, given that Islamic Finance had a prime opportunity to challenge the conventional banking system in the recent global recession, yet did not. The reason for this, is that in the wrong hands, Islamic Finance can become another tool for purely making money. It can be structured in an apparently Sharīʿah compliant manner, failing to provide the outcomes that the Sharīʿah intends to provide. The underlying maqāṣid (objectives) of Islamic Finance is the fair and equitable distribution of resources, which protects rights and ensures obligations are fulfilled in a transparent manner, irrespective of economic power. However, if it is the same players who are providing the same products, albeit more quickly and more efficiently, then FinTech will merely support the status quo, failing to achieve its full potential as a tool to increase access to financial services.

That said, FinTech has already shown promise in offering both investors, and those in need of funding, an alternative. A prime example of this is the growth of crowdfunding, a sector with a global annual growth rate of 167%. In 2014, the worldwide crowdfunding volume reached $16.2bn and it is still accelerating. Whilst much of this growth has been driven by lending-based platforms, which usually fall short of the Islamic Ethical principles, what we are seeing now is an ethical investing revolution, favouring equity-based platforms. This equity-based method has Sharīʿah–compliant applications, boasting a staggering growth rate of 182%, outperforming the sector as a whole, whilst still fulfilling personal religious or ethical obligations.

A very simple approach to understanding Islamic Finance is to consider it being made up of two parts. The first consideration is the item or service being invested in: investing in industries that profit from interest, alcohol, gambling, or pornography are quite easy to filter out and are commonly known to be non-Sharīʿah compliant. The second consideration, and perhaps more complicated one, is the way in which the transaction takes place. There are clear boundaries that determine a transaction impermissible – e.g. sale is not under duress; there is no fraudulent activity; the buyer and seller both know what they are buying and what they are selling respectively; there is real ownership; and so on. Unfortunately, even these are open to abuse. I emphasise this point of outcomes that the Sharīʿah provides consistently, because it goes beyond simple structures and looks holistically at the different parties involved and can deem that even though a particular product may be ‘Sharīʿah-compliant’, it may not be in the benefit of a party.

An example of this is known as the murābaḥah structure, defined by the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Finance Institutions (AAOFI) as “the sale of goods at cost plus an agreed profit mark-up.” [2] In its simplest form the “mark-up” is for deferred payments in instalments. The seller has the right to charge what they want for the item they are selling and if both parties agree, then this transaction is acceptable under the Sharīʿah: it meets the letter of the law.

An equivalent to a murābaḥah transaction can be found in the UK, under the rent-to-own schemes offered by some retailers. Rent-to-own schemes offer people the chance to buy items they need for their home – such as TVs or washing machines – through smaller, regular payments, instead of paying for the goods in one go.

In response to individuals taking advantage of rent-to-own schemes, from 1 April 2019, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK introduced a price cap on rent-to-own schemes. [3] The FCA found that once (interest/mark-up) charges have been added, some rent-to-own consumers have ended up paying more than four times the retail price they would have paid in normal shops. [4] Thus, it can be argued that whilst such transactions might technically meet the letter of the (Islamic) law, they have failed to provide a good outcome for one of the parties, and therefore violate the maqāṣid of the Sharīʿah.

The Way Forward for Islamic Finance and FinTech

The digital age provides an opportunity for confusion as well as clarity. In the global markets, products can change digital hands multiple times and ownership can be transferred within seconds, so it can be difficult to determine exactly what the buyer and seller are transacting in. As a result, it can be difficult to determine who has genuine ownership at the point of sale.

That said, technological infrastructure offers numerous tools to help transact a deal securely and quickly, such as digital security, unique referencing, and instantaneous transfer. Financial transactions under the Sharīʿah are highly regulated, requiring what is known as a ‘spot transfer’. Historically, these types of transfers have been difficult to execute; standard settlement terms tend to take two or three days. Being able to enter into a monetary exchange without time-delay is proving revolutionary to the Islamic Finance industry, increasing the both the availability and scalability of Islamic financial markets.

As of 2014, the market for Islamic financial assets was estimated to be worth $1,814 billion and is projected to increase to a valuation of $3,247 billion by next year. [5] The combination of a young tech-savvy population who want products aligned to their faith provides an opportunity for FinTech as an enabler, to provide products that not only meet the letter of the law when it come to the Sharīʿah, but also the spirit of the law in a manner that reflects their lifestyles and tastes. Regarding performance, Islamic financial products have a solid track record. Research from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that “Islamic banks, on average, showed stronger resilience during the global financial crisis”. [6] Thus, it is clear that the opportunities associated with this growing market are not to be underestimated.

The number of platforms that allow investment directly from an app or web browser has exploded in recent years, and so has the opportunity for similar Sharīʿah-compliant services. Recent government regulatory activity in the UK, US, and EU permit the marketing of investment products to accredited and non-accredited investors alike, spurring a wave of innovation in the marketing and availability of Islamic financial investment opportunities.

An example of some of the companies in this new wave of Islamic Finance opportunities found in the UK are:

Yielders is a property crowdfunding platform that is Sharīʿah-compliant and FCA authorised. They have successfully taken a simple model and enhanced it for the digital age. Again, they have a low starting investment amount, but also cater for the more sophisticated investor too. Their equity-based model forgoes involvement with debt, interest, banks, or mortgages, whilst still being competitive and investing in tangible physical assets that everyone understands.

No doubt you would have seen some form of advertising from Wahed Invest over the last few months. Wahed Invest is an online Sharīʿah-compliant investment platform that allows you to invest in one of a number of pre-set investment portfolios that vary based on risk appetite. They have a low investment amount for entry and can cater for larger investors too. It allows people to invest in Sharīʿah-compliant funds without having to individually check each fund. Wahed Invest is FCA registered.

Primary-Finance is an ethical start-up and a FinTech enabler. Primary-Finance came about from a desire to provide a genuinely Sharīʿah-compliant Home Purchase Plan, that was competitive and did not subject the purchaser to the same terms that conventional mortgages gave, as well as existing players in the Sharīʿah-compliant Mortgage space. Their aim is to provide a better home purchasing finance product, and by better they mean ḥalāl and quicker. Primary-Finance is currently going through FCA approval.

In the charity space, we also have Muslim Giving,[10] and Jumah Pay,[11] which further exemplifies that there is not a lack of talent in this space.

I sincerely believe that FinTech presents an opportunity to redress global inequality if it is managed the right way, and with the right players at the helm. It is already opening opportunities for banking services without bricks and mortar, as well as giving individuals access to markets that were previously only for big players, such as hedge funds and asset managers. FinTech needs to be a tool for solving real-world problems and democratising financial power, rather than monetising old-world greed. How do we do this? There is no easy answer, but the regulators have a role to play. They need to engender a market in which FinTech companies do not need to be snapped up by the large banks to be viable or devote their innovation to service the banks’ needs. The regulators also need to be clear on the application of rules to FinTech organisations, particularly the balance between being a financial institution and a technology company.

FinTech offers a key solution to the predominant challenge for existing Islamic Finance Institutions, being that they had to operate within an existing banking framework, making it difficult to implement a comprehensive application of Sharīʿah, thereby limiting their freedom to be creative. This is why the Islamic Finance industry is filled with a dearth of Sharīʿah-compliant products as opposed to Sharīʿah-based products. FinTech, itself being disruptive, is an opportunity for the market to innovate and produce Sharīʿah-based products that democratise opportunities for enterprise.

In retrospect, it appears that the more developed economies are set to benefit from the opportunities for financial inclusion and liberalisation that FinTech technology is offering. However, for Islamic Fintech to be a real solution to financial exclusion and global inequality worldwide, there is a real need for innovation of better products from a Sharīʿah perspective that are delivered in a more people-centric manner.

]]>Our analysis, when presented with a business venture, is meticulously thorough: “what are the start-up costs?”; “how many partners are involved?”; “what’s the likely return on investment?”. In many cases, however, it may not even occur to ask the most important of all questions: “what’s the Islamic ruling of this venture?”

The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) had prophesied that such a day would arrive. He said:

“There will come a time where people will not care regarding what they take; from Halāl or Harām.” [1]

What is interesting is that when the Qur’ān spoke of Zinā (fornication), it elaborated on its consequences and denounced it with the harshest of expressions. The same can be said about the consumption of alcohol, theft, backstabbing, false accusations and so on. However, when the Qur’ān approached the topic of finances, specifically the using of interest, the language of the Qur’ān changes to an entirely new tone:

فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ

“…But if you do not desist, then take a notice ofwar from Allāh and His Messenger…”[2]

“On the day of reckoning, it will be said to the user of interest, “Take your weaponry in preparation for war.” [3]

How humiliating, but such is the seriousness of finances in the eyes of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā). It’s important to clarify a matter at this point: what is meant by ‘prohibited wealth’? Is it exclusive to the obvious, i.e. sources via the trade of alcohol, drugs, gambling, theft and interest? In reality, this concept is far wider than that, as it encompasses:

Earnings that are sourced from impermissible avenues, like the selling of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc.;

An impermissible product, like pork and alcohol, even if purchased from Halāl wealth;

The permissible product, like fruits, vegetables, beef etc, when purchased from Harām

In fact, the concept of ‘prohibited wealth’ is so far-reaching that the scholars have even discussed the ruling of an employee praying voluntary units without the permission of his employer. For the obligatory prayer, there is no problem in this. But for the Rawātib (the Sunnah prayers that are associated with the obligatory ones), scholars have two opinions: one party argues that no permission is required due to their emphasised status, whilst the other argues that permission is in fact required. As for nonspecific voluntary units of prayer, Imam Ahmad’s Fatwā is that one shouldn’t engage in them if they will minimise the employer’s benefit in any way. [4]

So those lecturers, for example, who purposely arrive late to lectures that they’re being paid to deliver; or those who use their work hours to do their shopping, to recreationally surf the internet, engage in other business ventures, or take their children somewhere; then this is money that – in many cases – has not been worked for, and may come under the same heading of ‘prohibited wealth’. Do you now see just how encompassing the expression of ‘prohibited wealth’ actually is?

If you have allowed this type of wealth into your account, this means that you’ve unleashed a weapon of mass destruction against yourself and your family. The danger of such a weapon, however, is that its effects are not always immediately noticeable. It does not make any sounds; it does not tear down buildings; it does not release any toxic smells; but nevertheless, it is so ruthless in its effects that it has the power to singlehandedly devastate your Dunyā and your Dīn, and the casualties are beyond count. Today, we will name a few of those casualties.

The first casualty: Your heart

The same way that certain foods are damaging to your physical heart – fast food burgers, processed foods, cured meats, deep fried foods, and so on – that block the natural passage of blood through its arteries, there are certain matters that are also damaging to your spiritual heart and cause a blockage of the passage of Īmān, happiness, and Sakīnah (tranquilly) through it. One is prohibited wealth. The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said:

“When a servant of Allāh commits a sin, a black spot is placed on his heart. If he then withdraws, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart is polished clean. But if he returns, it will be made to increase until it covers his entire heart, and this is the Rān (stain) which Allāh mentioned: ‘No, but rather, on their hearts is the Rān (stain) because of what they used to earn.’”[5]

So, what happens as a result of such covering? Well, you fail to enjoy the sweetness of Islām: you fail to benefit from advice, you struggle to engage your heart in Ṣalāh, in Duʿā’, and in the recitation of the Qur’ān. Mercy and kindness are taken away from it; patience and positivity are removed from it. Your heart becomes hard and as a result, even though you may take your body to the places of goodness – mosques, Islamic lectures, gatherings of remembrance – you feel like you have left your heart somewhere else every time, like a car that simply fails to start. In desperation, you ask: “What’s wrong with you?”, and if your heart had the ability to speak, it would answer: “It’s your prohibited wealth that’s suffocating me.”

The second casualty: Your Sadaqah

Due to the prohibited wealth that you refused to avoid, you have successfully managed to close the door of charity between you and Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā). The fact that Zakāh comes under this category should terrify us. The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said:

من جمع مالا حراما، ثم تصدق به، لم يكن له فيه أجر، وكان إصره عليه

“Whoever accumulates prohibited wealth, then gives out in charity from it, he will not be rewarded for it and will have to bear the consequences of it.” [6]

“How is it that my charity will not help purify me from my sins?” I hear you ask. Sufyān al-Thawri answers:

“Whoever spends prohibited wealth in avenues of goodness is just like a person who cleans his clothes with urine. Clothes cannot be purified with anything but water, and sins cannot be erased with anything but the Halāl.”[7]

The third casualty: Your Duʿā’

What good is there in life when the rope of Duʿā’ between yourself and Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) is severed? Such a person will be left to himself, for his voice of Duʿā’ has become of no interest to Allāh. The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) made mention of a man, who:

“…having journeyed far, is dishevelled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky in Duʿā’, saying, “O Lord! O Lord!”, while his food is Harām, his drink is Harām, his clothing is Harām, and he has been nourished with Harām, so how can his Duʿā’ be answered?” [8]

Notice, all of the means of an accepted Duʿā’ are with such a person, for he (1) is travelling, (2) is in a humbled state, (3) is raising his hands in Duʿā’, (4) is repeating his Duʿā’, and despite these elements combined, Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) has nothing for him.

It was well known that Sa’d b. Abī Waqqās (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu)’s Duʿā’ was answered by Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) every single time. He was asked:

تستجاب دعوتك من بين أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟

“Why is it that, from all of the companions of the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam), it’s your Duʿā’ that is answered?”

He answered:

ما رفعت إلى فمي لقمة إلا وأنا عالم من أين جاءت ومن أين خرجت

“I have not raised any bit of food to my mouth without knowing the details of where it was sourced.” [9]

The fourth casualty: Your acts of worship at large

Thus, the harm of prohibited wealth is not limited to one’s Duʿā’ but extends its cancerous roots to everyṢalāh, fast, Hajj, and worship in general. Is all the money of the world worth it?

Al-Ghazāli said:

العبادة مع أكل الحرام كالبناء على أمواج البحار

“One’s worship whilst consuming the prohibited is like constructing a building on top of the waves of the oceans.” [10]

Ibn ‘Abbās (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said:

لا يقبل اللّه صلاة امرىء في جوفه حرام

“Allāh does not accept the Ṣalāh of a person who has the prohibited within him.” [11]

How tragic it would be, therefore, to have the thousands that you had spent on, for example, Hajj, and the weeks that you’d spent away from your family and comfort, rejected. See how accurate were the words of the poet who said:

“If you’ve performed Hajj from wealth that’s sourced from impurity, then you didn’t perform Hajj, but your animal did.

Allāh does not accept but that which is pure, thus realise that not every pilgrimage is Mabrūr (accepted).”

The fifth casualty: Your Barakah

With the devastating weapon of prohibited wealth, the Barakah in your life will also start experiencing the throes of death. The true extent of this loss can only be appreciated when the concept of Barakah is understood correctly, so what exactly is Barakah?

Al-Rāghib said:

البركة هي ثبوت الخير الألهي في الشيء

“Al-Barakah is when Allāh allows goodness from Him to remain in something.” [12]

This concept of “remain” is integral to the understanding of the term “Barakah”. When a camel is described as having knelt down, the Arabs say “Barakah al-Ba’īr” as, when it does so, it stays where it is. Similarly, an area where water collects is described as a “Birkah”, as it’s a place where water remains.

Take it as a rule in life: There can be no true happiness in the absence of Barakah. This is because when Barakah mixes with something small, it causes it to grow and when it mixes with something already huge, it allows it to be of benefit.

Should Barakah, therefore, become part of your wealth, health, time, children, knowledge or their likes, then they become far more productive and beneficial in their effects – a means of happiness – and their effects will remain.

We need Barakah in our lives. A person who has such will be able to achieve far more in his day than those who do not, despite the hours of the day being identical in the lives of both. Consider Saʿd b. Muʿādh (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) who embraced Islām at the age of 30 and died just 6 years later. His life was so full of Barakah that his death would cause the Throne of Allāh to shake.

We need Barakah in our hours. A person who has such will find the time to visit parents, give time to family, pray in the Masjid, require fewer hours of sleep, and more importantly, collect as many good deeds during that day. Others, however, devoid of Barakah, may sleep hours on end but still feel sluggish. During the day, they will find barely enough time to do anything productive.

We need Barakah in our money. A person who has such will feel pleased with what he or she has. Car tyres are not always in need of replacement, appliances at home aren’t always breaking down, and although the income isn’t great, the Barakah of such money means that he is able to suffice himself and family, to spend in charity, and is thus, content. On the other hand, some may have millions coming in each month, but because the Barakah is missing, such people still find themselves in debt, spiritually lost, and unable to solve the jigsaw puzzle of happiness.

We need Barakah in our knowledge. A person who has such finds each Āyah or Hadīth transformational in terms of what it does to his or her conduct, worship, appearance, Hijāb, habits, and so on. Others, however, who are devoid of such Barakah, may sit in many sermons, lectures and reminders, yet find their inner and outer change, to be minimal or non-existent.

We need Barakah in our children. A person who has such will find his children to be righteous, dutiful, and a means of happiness for both parents. Yes, they may have one child, but this child may be one who grows to become a reformer, revivalist, a true worshipper of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā), or similar. On the other hand, another couple may be parents to multiple children, but since Barakah is missing in them, their behaviour is deplorable. They neglect their parents, and worse still, their motivation as Muslims is at a rock bottom.

With a prohibited source of income, Barakah will be your casualty number five.

The sixth casualty: Your doors of Halāl

Yes, it is bitter, but a reality, one that states: Whoever rushes to attain Rizq via a door of Harām, a door of Halāl in his life will close. What’s interesting is that in many cases at least, those who opt for the prohibited sources of income are those who are least in need of it. He may already have several properties to his name, several sources of income, and a very reasonable saving, yet it does not stop him from pursuing the impermissible. How can this be explained other than by saying that the doors of Halāl are being vaulted shut before him?

It was narrated that ʿAli b. Abī Tālib (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) entered the Mosque of Kūfa and requested a young boy to take hold of his animal whilst he prayed inside. When he finished his prayer, ʿAli (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) took out one dinar to give the child in thanks but found that the child had stolen the saddle of his animal and ran away with it.

Instead, ʿAli (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) gave the dinar to another person and requested that he buys for him a saddle from the market. The man came back with a saddle to which ʿAli (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said, “Subhān Allāh! This is my saddle.”

The man replied, “I bought it from a young boy in the market for one dinar.”

ʿAli (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said:

سبحان الله، أردتُ أن أُعطيه إياه حلالاً، فأبى إلا أن يأخذه حرامًا

“Subhān Allāh. I wanted him to benefit from the dinar in a permissible manner, but he insisted to take it in a prohibited way.”

The seventh casualty: Your safety underground

That moment of soul and body separation will be, for some, the beginning of a brand-new phase of peace and comfort as angels of mercy rush to spoil such a soul within its grave. For others, the grave represents a new episode of unimaginable suffering in the companionship of angels, who rush to torture it. One of the factors that differentiate between these polar opposite outcomes is how a person had sourced his wealth. Should it be from a prohibited source, even martyrdom will not intercede for you.

Once the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) heard companions congratulating the soul of a Muslim—Midʿam—who had died after having received a stray arrow to his body during the expedition of Khaybar. They said: “Congratulations for him entering Jannah!”

The Prophet’s (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) response, however, took them all by surprise. He said:

“No, I swear by the One who possesses my soul. He took a shawl from the spoils of Khaybar before it was correctly distributed, so its flames are now covering him.” [13]

People were horrified to hear this, and so one man came to return one or two leather shoelaces that he’d also taken, and said: “I took these on the day of Khaybar”, to which the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said:

If this was the outcome for someone who had added to his possessions something prohibited on the off chance, what then do you make of a person whose day to day life consists of such? What kind of surprises await such a person?

The eighth casualty: Your home in Jannah

Imagine the tears of regret that some will shed when, on the Day of Reckoning, Jannah is within sight, but they are prohibited from walking through its gates due to prohibited wealth. The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) told his companion, Kaʿb (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu):

“O Kaʿb b. ʿUjra, any person whose flesh and blood were nourished through the impermissible cannot enter Jannah. The hellfire is worthier of them.” [15]

Conclusion

Easy returns and quick turnovers? Yes, this is the type of money that the prohibited sources may bring but beware of convincing yourself that this has anything to do with success. It is simply impossible to disobey Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) and then succeed, just as it is impossible to obey Him and then fail. “Success” and “failure” are not measured by what you see in the hands of people today but in the outcomes.

“If you see that Allāh is giving one of his servants from this life all what he wishes whilst engaging in wrongdoing, then know that Allāh is baiting him to destruction. Then, the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) recited the verse (which confirms this meaning): “So when they forgot Our reminder, We opened for them the gates of every good; until they became proud with what We gave them, We took them away all of a sudden and lo and behold, they were plunged into destruction.” [16]

If you are given the option between two paths – one that is downhill, fully paved, scenic and fragrant but ends in a bottomless pit, and another path that’s uphill, dark, rough in its terrain but ends in a top class chalet, swimming pool and all-you-can-eat buffet – which of the two would most people opt for? Thus, success and failure are to be measured by the eventual destination, not by the ease or difficulty of the journey.

With such casualties associated with prohibited wealth, what good is there left in the life of a person acquiring it?

]]>https://www.islam21c.com/finance/eight-casualties-of-haram-wealth/feed/845011Fatwa: ‘Israeli’ Dates are Haram to Buy & Sellhttps://www.islam21c.com/islamic-law/fatwa-israeli-dates-are-haram/
https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-law/fatwa-israeli-dates-are-haram/#commentsMon, 15 Apr 2019 16:13:21 +0000http://www.islam21c.com/?p=21921Many will be stocking up for Ramadān, but make sure you’re not breaking your fast with HARAM

Israelis are among the world’s largest exporters of agricultural produce. According to a report by the WhoProfits Research Center, 40% of the dates they had grown in 2011 were exported with a profit of $265 million. Most date groves are located in the occupied part of the Jordan valley and Dead Sea area, with illegal settlements producing up to 60% of Israeli dates and up to 40% of those are exported. Over half of the world’s Medjool dates are grown in the occupied Jordan Valley.[1]

Ever since the seizure of Palestine in 1948, anti-Zionist movements and many Muslims have embarked on a peaceful campaign of economic boycott, seen as the ‘minimum’ one can do to pressure the Zionist government to halt its crimes and oppression. Many times this comes as a reaction to major transient events, whilst the on-going occupation is rarely considered enough of a reason for the boycott to persist, when weighed against the quality of products Zionist producers cultivate from the blessed land.

This is often justified by the premise that it is permissible to make purchases from the People of the Book, even during times of war. This is supported by various ḥadīth. However, the Palestinian cause is unique. Their land and rights have been completely and unrestrainedly stripped. A verdict also exists on the issue though it is unfortunately often overlooked.

The first to present this Fatwa was Sheikh (Dr) Ahmad al-Raissouni in 2010, a Faqih and authority in Islamic Fiqh (born in 1953 AD). The Sheikh is a founding member and the current President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. He is currently the Director of the Center for Studies and Research in Maqaasid in Rabat and has held this position since late 2012.[2] He also serves as a member of the Executive Council of the World Forum of Muslim Scholars, within the Muslim World League. His Fatwa has the support of numerous scholars who have also reviewed it and champion it from a legal Islamic perspective. I also endorse and support this verdict myself.

Summary of the Fatwa

The Fatwa declares that it is Harām (impermissible) to buy and sell dates imported from “Israel”, seeing as “these dates have been stolen from their original owners, the Palestinians”, indicating that purchasing these dates is a way of “supporting and funding the continuity of this theft.”[3]

Sheikh (Dr) al-Raissouni explains:

“Israeli dates are much alike all Israeli goods, both impermissible to possess, or to pay money for their possession. It is also impressible to trade with such goods. Thus buying (these dates) is Harām, offering it for sale is Harām, actually selling them is Harām and their profit is Harām.”

Two Underlying Reasons for the Verdict

This ruling addresses two fundamental reasons:

“The first of which is the fact that these dates have been wrongfully taken from their rightful owners (known as Ghasb in Fiqh). The Zionists [illegally, unethically and inhumanely stole] the land of Palestine, including its farms, its trees, water and its homes. Thus everything that is produced from it is stolen wealth, impermissible to be purchased from the one who usurped it.”[4]

“The second reason is that purchasing Israeli goods is a way of supporting and funding the continuity of [Israeli] theft [of Palestinian land], and all of the crimes committed by the Zionists in Palestine and its surroundings. Those who give their wealth to the aggressor and thus empowers this aggressor [and aids them in continuing] in crime becomes a partner in this.”

Are they not ‘the People of the Book’?

Some retailers justify their selling of these dates because it is from ‘the food of the People of the Book’, the consumption of which has been permitted in the Qur’ān. In response to this, Sheikh (Dr) al-Raissouni says:

“this ruling has nothing to do with eating the food of the People of the Book, both of Christians or Jews, since it is permitted for a Muslim to eat the food of the Jews residing in Morocco, or any Muslim country, including consuming their sacrifice. Our statement is surrounding what we receive (of products) from these [occupiers] and aggressors, from that which they have stolen or of what they use to fund their theft and other crimes.”

The guilty brands

The following product names and brands are often obscured or guised by sellers. With this in mind, avoid them this Ramadan and throughout the year. Hadiklaim, the Israeli Date Growers Cooperative, “consolidates the activities of Israel’s largest and most advanced date producers” which include[5] those active in illegal settler plantations in the Jordan Valley and other occupied areas. Hadiklaim sells 70% dates from the Zionist entity. Its brand names include:

These are in addition to Shams, Delilah, Rapunzel, Bomaja and others, some of which imitate Arabic names and can deceive one into buying them with good intentions. The above are widely sold in most High street stores, with significant spikes in sales during the month of Ramadan.[6]

Dates are also supplied by Hadiklaim to mainstream supermarkets under their private brands including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s (Taste the Difference Medjool Dates), Tesco (Finest), Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons (M Signature Medjool Dates). Often these are labelled “produced in the West Bank”. These are not Palestinian dates, but those grown on Israeli plantations. It is essential that you check the label. Avoid dates produced or packaged in “Israel” or its illegal settlements. More information can be found on Friends of al-Aqsa’s website. [7]

The importance of this matter should not need stressing when we consider the vast majority of us consume dates when we break our fasts. Let it not be that we fast throughout the day from that which Allāh has made permissible, yet break our fasts with that which Allāh has made impermissible. Imagine the hunger and thirst you experience for the sake of Allāh, the patience one exhibits throughout the long, hot, summer days in the month of Ramadān; now imagine the reward for that being washed away because of our heedlessness in this grave matter of the violation of the rights of the creation of Allāh.

]]>https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-law/fatwa-israeli-dates-are-haram/feed/2421921Clarity of Vision: the Fuel for Successhttps://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/clarity-vision-fuel-success/
https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/clarity-vision-fuel-success/#respondTue, 16 Jan 2018 18:08:20 +0000https://www.islam21c.com/?p=29419Do you have high aspirations? Read Imam Asim Khan's guide to creating and executing a vision...

]]>Every person who has achieved something great in this world, has undoubtedly had a vision which they strived towards in order to succeed. The greatest of all people were the prophets of Allāh, who had the greatest and most ambitious of visions, i.e., saving their nations (and beyond) from the Hellfire, and helping them to attain Jannah.

In today’s world, many successful businessmen and politicians have reached their positions due to having worked hard towards their vision of success. Some of the leaders of the most powerful countries show us that striving towards an ambitious goal can see one achieve it, even when one is under-qualified to do so; such is the power of a vision!

The conversation around having a vision or detailed plan to achieve success is one that is frequently limited to management theory and corporate boardrooms, yet the reality is that it is something we should all individually have at the forefront of our minds, as we will come to see.

The Meaning of Success

First of all, let us look at the concept of true success, as every person surely wishes for it and hence it is the starting point of any vision. Success comes in many forms, depending on what we perceive it to be; but ultimately, attaining Allāh’s pleasure and entering Jannah, whilst avoiding the Hellfire, is its very essence. Allāh reminds us of the “great success” many times in the Qur’ān.[1]

In one short sūrah that is probably known to all readers, Allāh gives us a model for success:

“By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss. Except for those have believed and done righteous deeds, and advised each other to trust, and advised each other to patience.”[2]

Imām Ash-Shāfi’i commented on this chapter of the Qur’ān, saying ‘if people were to reflect over it, it would suffice them’; meaning that it holds the key to success. What we learn from the sūrah is that if one achieves success in the Hereafter, but never achieved any worldly accomplishment, Allāh classifies him/her as successful person. Likewise, the opposite is true; if one achieves great things in this world but ends up in the Hellfire, this is the ultimate loss and failure. The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) explained this to us beautifully when he said:

On the Day of Resurrection the disbeliever who lived the most luxurious life will be brought, and it will be said: ‘Dip him once in Hell.’ So he will be dipped in it, then it will be said to him: ‘O so- and-so, have you ever enjoyed any pleasure?’ He will say: ‘No, I have never enjoyed any pleasure.’ Then the believer who suffered the most hardship and trouble will be brought and it will be said: ‘Dip him once in Paradise.’ So he will be dipped in it and it will be said to him: ‘O so-and-so, have you ever suffered any hardship or trouble?’ He will say: ‘I have never suffered any hardship or trouble’[3].

Of course, we live in this world and should undoubtedly seek to succeed here too; the dunyā and the Ākhirah are not contradictory, and it is certainly not a choice between one or the other. Rather, Muslims should seek to succeed in both and be amongst the most successful in this world too (albeit with the Ākhirah as the end goal). This point will be clarified later with the example of Prophet Sulaimān (ʿalayhi al-salām).

Having High Aspirations (‘Uluww al-Himmah)

The eminent scholar, Ibn al Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah explained this term: ’Uluww al-Himmah by saying that Hamm is the beginning of any action (i.e., when the heart decides to perform an act) and Himmah is what lies at the end of those actions i.e. the end goal / aspirations.

Obviously aspirations can be both good (‘uluww, lit. high) and bad (sufūl, lit. low). ‘Uluww al-Himmah is having lofty goals; the loftiest of which is seeking the pleasure of God Almighty – the ultimate goal of the believer. Taking that understanding into consideration, ‘Uluww al-Himmah is to think little of everything other than this most important matter, keeping perspective on this objective and not letting any other objective get in its way.

A person having ‘uluww al-himmah is a sign of their success and, conversely, sufūl al-himmah is a sign of a person’s destruction. In the Qur’ān we read,

‘There are those among mankind who say “Our Lord! Give us good of this world!” and they have no portion of the Hereafter, and there are those who say “Our Lord! Give us good of this world and of the Hereafter.”’[4]

We learn that there are those whose himmah does not go beyond this dunyā and others whose himmah is for this dunyā and for the Hereafter. Having mentioned our ultimate goal, a further reflection from this verse is that we should also seek the good of this world, and this is part and parcel of having lofty aspirations. The Ummah would benefit largely in seeing Muslims attaining successful leadership positions, be that in the corporate, political, educational, or any other sphere – whereby a positive influence, directed by Islamic values, can be made.

If we Muslims do not seek to have lofty aspirations in this world and the next and have no vision ahead of us, then we are simply traveling upon a path haphazardly with no end goal in mind. Perhaps we all agree we want Jannah in the end, and we would like a comfortable life in this world too, but without some sort of plan or roadmap to achieve these, can we safely assume they will happen? If we live without direction, we will end up getting involved in things which have minimal value and make little or no progress each year.

Others have a vision for the dunyā; surely the Ākhirah is much greater and worthy of one.

The Concept of a Vision

First of all; what is a vision? It is the starting point for forming a plan or strategy towards one’s goals. Without a vision, there can be no strategy, and hence we find companies spending a large amount of time refining their vision and constantly reminding employees of it. Their end goal may be to reach a certain level of profitability or to become the market leader, but for the Muslim individual and indeed the collective, our end goal is far more important and therefore naturally needs even more thought and focus.

A vision can be explained as:

Articulation of a powerful, achievable, and motivating stretch goal.[5]

Breaking this definition down further, we have:

Powerful goal; having a dream or vision about something in the future, but it is so powerful and ambitious that it affects how you live now and the daily decisions you make.

Achievable goal; something that, provided you acquire the right resources and support, can be realistically achieved.

Motivating; the thought of achieving it drives the person, filling him/her with positive energy and perseverance.

Stretch goal; it should stretch beyond current capabilities and resources. That is, it should not be limited to the resources available today itself for we know we can build these up in the future.

Conversely, one should be aware of potential mistakes in setting a vision:

Sloganeering is not the same as setting a vision, e.g., “Be the best I can be”

A misguided vision is as bad or worse than having no vision at all

What about the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam); did he have a vision?

A further point to note is that having a vision should not necessarily be limited to our own lifetimes. An example of this was when the Companions were digging the trench for the battle of Khandaq, they found a boulder which was too big for them to break so they sought the help of the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam).

He (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) took the spade, and struck the boulder uttering: “Allāhu Akbar!” And each time he would strike it, a bright dazzling spark would appear – and in another narration it was like a light in the middle of a dark night. After the first spark he shouted, “the keys of ancient Syria are granted to me, I swear by Allāh, I can see its palaces at this very moment”; on the second strike he said: “Allāhu Akbar, Persia is granted to me, I swear by Allāh, I can now see the white palace of Madain”; on the third strike he said: “Allāhu Akbar, I have been given the keys of Yemen, I swear by Allāh, I can see the gates of Sana’ right now from where I’m standing.”[6]

These were all achieved, but not in his own lifetime (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam); rather, we find that his vision lived beyond his time in this world and affected those that followed him.

Another example of a vision is from Sūrah Sād, when Sulaymān (ʿalayhi al-salām) said:

“He said, ‘My Lord, forgive me and give me a kingdom the like of which will never be granted to anyone after me. Truly You are the Ever-Giving.’”[7]

Sulaymān (ʿalayhi al-salām) was both a king and a Prophet. He asked Allāh for a kingdom that would not be rivalled by any after him. Allāh accepted his duʿā’ and granted him a vast kingdom over which the sun would not set. He placed the wind and Jinn under his control. From this duʿā’ we learn a number of lessons related to having a vision:

The fact that Sulaymān asked for forgiveness first demonstrates the need to prioritise the Hereafter over the Dunyā. It also teaches us that his second request for the kingdom was motivated by a desire to gain the forgiveness of Allāh by using that power and influence to bring the world into the worship and obedience of Allāh.

Based on the fact that his father Dawūd (ʿalayhi al-salām) was also a Prophet and King, Sulaymān would have gained the knowledge and skills needed to be a great leader as a child. He then saw this talent of governance and created a vision based on it. Essentially, he took full advantage of his personal skills and talents to aspire towards a great vision. Today, it would be the equivalent of choosing a career that will help you attain the highest place in Paradise.

His duʿā’ for a kingdom that would never be rivalled by any that came after him was a request for the near-impossible. This teaches us that our visions in life should border on the near-impossible. This is the idea of stretch-goals as spoken about in modern day visioning and strategic thinking literature. There i s no point in setting the objectives so low that they could be fulfilled with even half of our abilities.

To understand the magnitude of his vision, picture this: Sulaymān (ʿalayhi al-salām) has been receiving reward for every single salāh prayed in Al-Aqsā since he rebuilt it during his time!

How Will Having a Vision Help Me?

There are numerous further examples of amazing visions that saw amazing results, from the Salaf and beyond. But the need for setting a vision should be clear. Before moving on to some practical guidance on setting our own, let us briefly mention some of the many benefits in doing so. Having a vision:

Helps to overcome obstacles, such as desires, Shaytān and enemies

We no longer go around in circles

We develop a healthy mental picture for our future

A vision helps sustain us during periods of change, such as moving home, marriage, or a new job

Helps to create more focus on what we really want

Connects us to purpose and therefore helps find meaning in life

Helps to kick start us into taking action in line with our skills, and allows us to move progressively forward

We are less likely to be distracted by meaningless pursuits

Helps to rely more passionately on Allāh and to make duʿā’ frequently

Setting Our Own Vision

We have thus far discussed the meaning of true success, the need to have lofty aspirations, and understood the concept of a vision to reach those aspirations. With these in mind, the next step is to set our own visions.

Spend a few days reflecting on your skills, relationships, networks and passions. Then see if you can formulate a clear, powerful vision that will drive you for the rest of your life. Consider the roles you currently have in life and align them to your vision. How can these roles best serve this vision? Or must they be altered or even removed?

With that considered and using the table below, the next step is to chart out milestones in every part of your life that ends with an ambitious goal. Consider each aspect of life carefully, and after plotting the milestones, assess the likely impact on your Hereafter, if they were to be achieved (on a scale of 1-10).Each of the above areas can be made up of a number of different items, whilst the last column requires careful thought; this will tell us how each goal will impact our ultimate Ākhirah goal of securing the best place in Paradise and salvation from the Hellfire. By giving each a score out of 10, where 10 shows its impact would be tremendous and 1 shows little or no positive impact, we are able to then assess our priorities. Of course if a goal has a negative impact, then it should be reconsidered or replaced.

This exercise is designed to link our life-goals to our Ākhirah, so that we can truly live a productive Muslim life.

Examples of ritual worship goals could be never missing a fard salāh, or praying the 12 sunan rakāt every day, to qiyām every night. Likewise, they could include nawāfil fasts, or reading/memorising a certain amount of Qur’ān, and so on.

Examples of personal habits could be regular exercise; career could include reaching a certain position or starting a business, etc. The following is an example of some completed sections:

EXAMPLE

6 mths

1 yr

5 yrs

10 yrs

20 yrs

Impact on Hereafter

ʿIbādah

Never praying a fard salāh late

Praying at least 1 or 2 salāh in the Masjid

Praying Qiyāmul Layl on the weekend

Praying Qiyāmul Layl with my wife and kids

Never missing Qiyāmul Layl

9/10

Career

Never being late to work

Complete major project on time

Gained a major qualification e.g. Masters

Reached senior post

Considered an expert in this field

6/10

Once the plan is formed, we should evaluate progress regularly and try our hardest to remain on track. Using the people around and closest to us for support will not only help but also strengthen relationships.

Lastly, with the above exercise completed, we should attempt to write a statement or vision for ourselves that captures it all.

Through regular duʿā’ and proactive action, these will be achieved. And of course, we should remember that if we are sincere, Allāh will make it easy for us, inshāAllāh.

]]>https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/clarity-vision-fuel-success/feed/029419Amazing bakery in Makkah – no cashier, no camerashttps://www.islam21c.com/news-views/amazing-bakery-in-makkah-no-cashier-no-cameras/
https://www.islam21c.com/news-views/amazing-bakery-in-makkah-no-cashier-no-cameras/#respondMon, 27 Mar 2017 11:27:54 +0000https://www.islam21c.com/?p=25632Amazing bakery in Makkah – no cashier, no cameras The Prophet (pbuh) said “When honesty is lost, then wait for the hour." This video shows that there are still places where people are championing the value of 'amānah', exhibiting honesty and integrity in their dealings. Read more about amānah here: https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/behind-closed-doors-its-my-life-and-ill-sin-if-i-want-to/ Posted by Islam21c on ...

The Prophet (pbuh) said “When honesty is lost, then wait for the hour." This video shows that there are still places where people are championing the value of 'amānah', exhibiting honesty and integrity in their dealings. Read more about amānah here: https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/behind-closed-doors-its-my-life-and-ill-sin-if-i-want-to/

The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhī wa sallam) said “When honesty is lost, then wait for the hour.”[1] This video shows that there are still places where people are championing the value of ‘amānah’, exhibiting honesty and integrity in their dealings.

]]>https://www.islam21c.com/news-views/amazing-bakery-in-makkah-no-cashier-no-cameras/feed/025632The Billion Dollar Muslimhttps://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/the-billion-dollar-muslim/
https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/the-billion-dollar-muslim/#commentsTue, 11 Oct 2016 15:50:45 +0000http://www.islam21c.com/?p=23550Book Review of Billion Dollar Muslim: Why We Need Spiritually Inspired Entrepreneurs “Everyone can be an entrepreneur and the way global economies are going, everyone will need to be.” Billion Dollar Muslim is not a typical guide to “how to be an entrepreneur” that you will find on the bookshelf. In its 150 pages it challenges ...

“Everyone can be an entrepreneur and the way global economies are going, everyone will need to be.”

Billion Dollar Muslim is not a typical guide to “how to be an entrepreneur” that you will find on the bookshelf. In its 150 pages it challenges the reader on their perception of entrepreneurship itself, provokes self-introspection, not only the basis of aspiration, but on the growing necessity for the economic changes to come.

The book’s range of interesting insights and concepts include how being in a job is becoming an increasingly risky prospect, our relationship with money and how true entrepreneurship is even a pivotal force for good.

The author, Khuram Mailk, explains his intention for writing the book:

“This book is not just for those already in business who would like to bring a better unity between their dealings and the Deen. In fact, my target audience are those who think entrepreneurship is not their thing at all.”

With talk of ideological economics, austerity and the 1%, corporate business and entrepreneurship have a bad reputation amongst many. Yet some would argue that the freedom of even low-level entrepreneurialism becomes a real prospect when we consider that the current systems in place tend to punish the poor or those dependent on a standard salary; both groups of whom are unable to cater for the uncertainties of life. The latter have argued that there is no better time to detach themselves from the system than now.

It is this rebellious premise that the book bases itself upon.

The book begins by exploring the comparison made by Malcolm X between the Field Negro and the House Negro. The individual who chains themselves to a company or an organisation identifies with the company to such an extent that they can hardly see themselves any other way. At times, they even make major personal sacrifices for the sake of the company. They are also dedicated to rites of passage that they believe define success. As a society, we have become wedded to the idea that going to university and getting a “professional job”, for example, is the epitome of success. So much so, that we look down on all other forms of success.

For some, this may seem like an absurd comparison. However, the book builds upon this concept citing examples of budding Muslim entrepreneurs who are met with multiple detractors and sometimes face public defamation, bringing their morality and even their īmān into question.

Could it be that we admire the worldly success of other communities and yet, when we see our own brothers and sisters pursuing the same thing, we are quick to remind them of their place?

“Our relationship with money is tainted”, Khuram says, “Yet this was never the case with the Sahāba at the time of the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam). In fact, it was often the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst some of the Sahāba that really helped bring continuity to the cause of Islām.”

Entrepreneurialism, Khuram argues, moulds a person to be an agent of change. They are able to re-invent themselves from being system-dependant consumers to system creators and owners, whereby the Muslim can help reshape society – a fascinating argument for Muslim entrepreneurialism in the dark times we are currently experiencing as an Ummah.

It is not simply an idealistic, self-empowerment piece of writing either. At times it is a sober and critical exploration of the Muslim mind which urges reform within the reader. It weaves business, socio-political and religious examples to argue its case. It is a compelling piece of how entrepreneurship can be a force of positive change for our future as Muslims and for the world.

Perhaps one criticism of the book is that, whilst it is easily digestible, the discussions seem only to broach a surface level of depth. This, coupled with a sense that the author is holding back on elaborations and further development, leaves the reader asking for more.

As soon as Frederick Douglass’ generation of black people gained their freedom from slavery as well as their right to vote, it was desperately obvious that black people needed economic independence in a still racist society. It was so evidently a gateway to their freedom that even the likes of the KKK actively destroyed and undermined black American efforts in this endeavour.

It is my firm belief that those who want to see the freedom of the Muslim Ummah must have an entrepreneurial and strategic mind-set. Without it, that dream will always be far from reality. Khuram Malik’s argues this critical lesson in his compelling Billion Dollar Muslim.[1]

]]>https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-law/fatwa-es-ist-haram-israelische-datteln-zu-kaufen-und-zu-verkaufen/feed/021996Helping Hypocrites Against Muslimshttps://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/helping-hypocrites-against-muslims/
https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/helping-hypocrites-against-muslims/#commentsMon, 04 Apr 2016 17:31:17 +0000http://www.islam21c.com/?p=21157Deliberation before Condemnation – Part 2 Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 The purpose of this series is one: To illustrate beyond doubt the very sophisticated nature of Takfīr, hoping that it will dissuade those who have been afflicted with such boldness to reconsider their behaviour and to busy themselves with those matters that are urgently ...

The purpose of this series is one: To illustrate beyond doubt the very sophisticated nature of Takfīr, hoping that it will dissuade those who have been afflicted with such boldness to reconsider their behaviour and to busy themselves with those matters that are urgently required of them, such as to memorise the book of Allāh, to perfect its recitation, to master its understanding, to the study of the Arabic language, to pursue Islamic knowledge, to call to the path of Allāh and to establish projects in preparation for their Hereafter.

As with Part 1 of this series, this purpose will be achieved through a simple model of study. We shall continue with the practice of relaying a narration which speaks of a person(s) who had seemingly engaged in matters violating the soundness of a person’s Islām and which would otherwise remove a person from the pale of Islām. Then, we will follow it up with commentary from the scholars of Islām, focusing on the words of Ibn Taymiyyah specifically, and thus determine that “This matter of Takfīr is not how we had previously imagined. It clearly is not for us.” We will then move onto the next narration where we will do the exact same.

In the previous article of this series we explored the story of Hātib b. Abī Balta’a (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) and concluded that even in such a case of apparent treason, a Muslim cannot be deemed a Kāfir as there is much else to consider.

The second narration:

Hadithatul Ifk or the “event of the slander” is the name given to one of the most traumatising, if not the most traumatising, moment that the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) and his wife ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanha) had ever experienced. This was when a hypocrite in Madīna invented a lie pertaining to the honour of our mother ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanha) and the great companion Safwān b. Al-Mu’attal As-Sulami. They were later cleared from the sin of fornication that they had deceptively been accused of, as Allāh revealed āyāt of the Qur’ān in their defence.

Up until this point of eventual relief however, pressure was mounting as days were passing and nothing from the Qur’ān was being revealed in this regard. In the absence of revelation, the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) would begin consulting his companions with regards to the matter of ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanha), including Barira – ʿĀ’isha’s maidservant, ʿAlī and Usāma (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhumā). Eventually, the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) would call for a general assembly and, for the first time since the creation of this rumour, the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) would address the matter publicly. He ascended the pulpit and, after praising Allāh, he said:

“Oh gathering of believers, who will excuse me with regards to a person whose harm of me has even reached my family?”

The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) refers here to the hypocrite who invented this lie, ʿAbdullāh b. Ubay b. Salūl, and asks his companions as per who amongst them is willing to support him against those who may then blame him for dealing with this man who deserves to be dealt with.

“I will excuse you O messenger of Allāh! If this person whom you speak of is from among the Aws tribe, then I will cut his head off, and if he is from among my brethren of the Khazraj tribe, then command us and we will do your bidding.”[1]

It so happened that the hypocrite ʿAbdullāh b. Ubay b. Salool was from the Khazraj tribe and therefore the words of Saʿd had struck a raw nerve with some of the companions. So, Saʿd b. ʿUbāda, who was also from the Khazraj, immediately stood up and said:

“Rather you are the liar and we will surely kill him! You are only a hypocrite defending the hypocrites!”

Passion had been stirred in the Masjid and both the tribes of the Aws and Khazraj flared up in fury. They drew their weapons and battle was about to erupt. The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) was on the pulpit, desperately calming down the Muslims, urging them to desist, and shouting over them until their fury had subsided and they had parted from one another.[2]

The narration above depicts an incident where a righteous companion actively defended a hypocrite who was known for his hypocrisy. Yet, neither the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) nor any of the companions condemned him to disbelief for having displayed allegiance to an enemy of Allāh and His messenger. One could only imagine the ramifications should a similar scene repeat itself today at the hands of the inexperienced and unlettered in the field of the Islamic sciences.

“And it could be that a person expresses love towards them due to ties of kinship or a need which he has of them. Thus, such behavior constitutes as a sin which detracts from his īmān but [he] is not condemned to disbelief, as was the case in the story of Hātib […] and as was the case with Saʿd b. ʿUbāda when he defended ʿAbdullāh b. Ubay b. Salūl during the event of the slander.”[3]

Therefore, we repeat the same principle that was established previously:

ما كل موالاة للمشركين تكون كفرا مخرجا من الملة

“Not every form of Muwālatul Mushrikīn constitutes as Kufr which causes one to part from Islam.”[4]

One may be compelled to ask: What forms do?

The answer: Those forms which the scholars of Islām have identified, after the conditions for such a verdict of Takfīr have been met and impediments have been removed.

One may then ask: What are these conditions and/or impediments, and how are they to be applied?

The answer: This responsibility is not yours, nor is it mine. Rather it is a duty upon those whose backs have arched due to their years of scholarly pursuit. As for the rash behaviour of the ill-informed enthusiasts, such behaviour has proven only to bring disgrace to themselves, shame on their communities and pain to their families.

The biography of the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) is present in its finest details, just as the biographies of his companions, the Tābiʿīn, and those who came after them from the four Imāms and their students. Yet, one will never find within such biographies the obsession with Takfīr which we see today, nor did they occupy themselves with such matters even though disbelief and hypocrisy were also present during their times.

“An army will raid the Kaʿbah but when they reach a desert land, all of them will be swallowed by the earth.” I asked, “O Messenger of Allāh, how will all of them be swallowed by the earth while among them are their markets and people not belonging to them?” The Prophet said, “They will all be swallowed up but they will be resurrected for Judgement according to their intentions.”[5]

In another narration, the same meaning is reinstated but with a different wording:

يَهْلِكُونَ مَهْلَكًا وَاحِدًا، وَيَصْدُرُونَ مَصَادِرَ شَتَّى

“They will all die together, but will be resurrected in different states.”[6]

Clearly, the presence of such businessmen and merchants amidst the ranks of this army is indispensable to the operation of this army, for they are a source of their sustenance. This means that they are in manifest assistance of an army that is on its way to fight the Muslims at the holiest of Allāh’s lands. Despite this, however, the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) made it clear that their individual situations on the Day of Judgement will not be the same but their judgement will vary from person to person. Some will be punishable whilst others may be saved, despite them all being amidst an army which was heading towards Makkah and despite them all having engaged in the identical act of buying and selling amidst such an army.

Imām Ibnu Taymiyya said, emphasising the sophisticated nature of such a judgement:

“And they may fight, whilst amidst them are believers who conceal their faith and fight with them. They are unable to immigrate and are compelled to fight. Such people will be resurrected according to their intentions.”[7]

With that being said, who are the ones who have the ability to differentiate between the Muslim and Kāfir amidst such a wretched army, for they all look exactly the same? Most certainly not the masses amongst us.

He also has similar words with regards to those who fought with the Mongols, an empire that was characterised by sheer savagery and ruthlessness. In fact, the degree of their harm was so enormous that, at first, the scholars of Islām completely withheld from writing anything with regards to this Fitnah, due to the state of shock that people were in.

Ibnu Athīr, the famous historian who lived around 900 years ago, had refrained for several years from documenting anything with regards to what was happening at the hands of the Tatār. Ibnu Athīr would later say,

“فيا ليت أمي لم تلدني، ويا ليتني مت قبل حدوثها وكنت نسيا منسيا”

“I wish that my mother had never given birth to me and I wish that I had died before this happening and was something that was entirely forgotten.”[8]

“If one was to claim that humanity, from the day that Allāh created Ādam until now, had never been trialled with anything like this, then his claims would be true. For history has not documented anything that even remotely resembles this.”[9]

Furthermore, according to Ibnu Athīr, the Fitnah of the Tatār was worse than the Fitnah of the Dajjal.[10] These were the words of Ibnu Athīr despite him not living to witness what they would do on the year 656AH at Baghdad, the capital of the Islamic Khilāfa. There the Khalīfa was killed in the most barbaric of ways and the Tatāri leader, Holako, issued a command to massacre every living creature in Baghdad for forty days. Men were literally butchered, Muslim women were taken as slaves and raped en masse, the breastfeeding children would be slain, the libraries of Baghdad were destroyed and the wealth of the state was ransacked. The end result of those 40 days was the killing of no less than 1 million Muslims.

Ibnu Athīr had also not witnessed the Tatār’s subsequent crossing over into the land of Ash-Shām and what they did there. And yet, despite this, Imām Ibnu Taymiyya would say about the Tatār:

“Amidst the Tatār, there are those who are compelled to fight with them and others who are not […] And so whoever was compelled to fight with them, then he will be resurrected according to his intentions.”[11]

Imām Ibnu Taymiyya has words to this effect when he was asked about the Muslims who were part of the Christian Cyprian army which fought the Muslims. Cyprus was conquered by the Muslims during the time of ʿUthmān (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) but would be recaptured by the Christians years later. Ibnu Taymiyyah did not classify them all as disbelievers, rather, he said some were disbelievers, others were hypocrites etc.

The purpose of relaying this is not for one moment to belittle the severity of assisting such adversaries of Islām, but to emphasise the importance of deliberation, composure and deep thought before issuing such statements of condemnation, for the matter of Takfīr is clearly not as we had initially perceived.

The fourth narration:

The companion ‘Itbān b. Mālik once asked the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) to visit him in his house and to pray inside of it. The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) responded to this invitation, prayed in his house and then, as they ate, other companions began to gather.

“So some of the attendees asked, ‘Where is Mālik b. Ad-Dukhshun?’ Some said, ‘That man is a hypocrite who does not love Allāh and His messenger.’ The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) responded, ‘Do not say that. Do you not see that he is a person who says lā ilāha illa Allāh, desiring with it the face of Allāh?’ The man said, ‘Allah and His messenger know best.’ We said, ‘But we see that he has given all his attention and advice to the hypocrites!’ The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Anyone who says lā ilāha ila Allāh, desiring with it the face of Allāh, Allāh will make the Hellfire impermissible for him.’”[12]

Such a narration and its like consolidates a principle which the scholars of Islām have deduced; that he whose Islām is certain cannot be condemned as a disbeliever except with similar certainty, not doubt.[13]

“For this reason, those who are accused of hypocrisy are not all of the same category. Rather, amongst them are pure hypocrites, others are those who harbour both īmān and hypocrisy, whilst others have greater īmān within them whilst possessing elements of hypocrisy.”[14]

Words of tremendous balance, fairness, precision; words of justice. Just as Allāh said,

“Allāh commands you to restore the rights to its people and that when you judge between them you judge with justice.”[15]

Allāh revealed nine long verses from Sūrat An-Nisā in defence of a Jewish man who was falsely accused of stealing by the Muslims,[16] despite his belonging to a people who had caused much pain to the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) and the Muslim community.[17] Nevertheless, despite the fact that some of them would actively finance the Prophet’s adversaries, spread doubtful arguments or, in fact, make various attempts on the life of the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam), and despite the fact that those who had plotted against this Jewish man were a household from the Ansār, a people who had supported the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) with everything at their disposal, justice was upheld where it was due.

If this is the justice which Allāh demands from the Muslims towards people of other faiths, what about those who claim to be part of yours?

[1] It is well known that Saʿd b. Muʿāth had passed away before this incident during the expedition of Banū Quraidha. The mentioning of Saʿd’s name in this narration, however, does not affect the reliability of the Ḥadīth as it is found in the two Saḥīḥs. The most that can be said about this is that the mentioning of Saʿd b. Muʿāth within this narration is an error from the part of the narrator.

[2] Narrated by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim, on the authority of ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanha).